The Occasional Solo Tripper

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Have you ever wondered what it would be like to take a gambling trip alone, rather than with your usual companions?  Well, read on, because today’s guest post was written by my friend, the admin over at EastCoastGambler.net.  He is a frequent traveler to Atlantic City where he covers all aspects of the gaming and tourism world there.  East Coast Gambler and I met via Twitter and were discussing the differences between solo trips and trips with others.  He normally travels with a companion, but occasionally enjoys a private trip.  I asked him if he would share with my readers how he approaches a solo trip, since it’s somewhat different than mine.

I’m not one for taking many solo trips, but occasionally I’ll take a solo trip to Atlantic City to drink, gamble and relax.  Solo trips differ from when I travel to gamble with friends in a few ways.  I prepare, eat, and gamble differently. I relax in my room more and tend to stay closer to my home base.

The differences begin with my preparation for the trip.  I usually dress appropriately to where I plan on eating.  If I’m going to eat at a nice restaurant I’ll travel with nicer clothes including collared shirts and slacks.  If I plan on keeping dinners casual I’ll keep my dress casual.  When I travel alone I tend to keep dining more casual.  Dining alone in a nice restaurant isn’t as much fun when I can’t share the experience with someone else.  Instead of fine dining I’ll usually grab a quick bite at a fast food restaurant or at a coffee shop.  The other option for when I dine is to go to one of the VIP lounges where there are usually finger foods, desserts and drink.  A snack, a sugary dessert and a couple drinks is usually enough to keep the day moving.  I’m very wired with my technology so in order keep boredom to a minimum and pass the time I read news on my iphone.

In the past year I’ve noticed that I gamble differently when I’m alone too.  I play many more machines than tables.  I’m a social gambler and find tables to be more fun when with others I know.  When gambling solo, I play mostly video poker but also slot machines from nickel to $5 denominations.   I tend to play a lot of video poker since I have some control over the outcome and I know the payout percentages.  Slots are mindless fun for me, nickel machines tend to be a lot of fun because they are bright and loud while the higher limit slots tend to be a little more demure.  There’s a time for both.

I like my time alone but don’t get much of it when I travel with others.  When I travel alone I tend to enjoy the amenities in my room a little more.  This is where an HDTV, coffee maker, comfortable sitting area, robes, slippers and other niceties come in handy. Last year I ended up in hotel rooms with an HDTV for every trip I took to Atlantic City.  I liked it so much that I bought one for home.  When alone, I enjoy taking a nice long shower and drip drying in a robe while sitting back and relaxing in a nice comfy chair or couch, sipping coffee while watching ESPN or another TV show.  I don’t have the patience, anywhere, to sit and watch an entire movie.  I don’t stay in my room for long stretches of time, but taking time to sit back and relax may happen a couple of times a day.

As I’ve gotten older I’ve come to realize that I enjoy my time alone whether I’m home or away.  In the past couple of years I’ve come to enjoy my time alone in casinos.  I can only see myself traveling alone a little more as life continues.  You can keep tabs of my gambling journeys, alone or with others, on www.eastcoastgambler.net.

What I find fascinating about this account is this:  I’ve seen posts from many men on Vegas message forums indicating that they tend to downgrade their hotel room when traveling alone since they “just need a place to sleep, shower and change their clothes”; they don’t think it’s worth the extra expense to have a nice room.  But East Coast Gambler takes advantage of his solo trips to pamper himself by upgrading his accommodations, and I like that philosophy a lot.  After all, we’re all worth it, aren’t we?  I also like that he slows things down a bit and enjoys his solitude.  But my friend, I encourage you to try dining at a nice restaurant during your next solo trip.  Believe me, it can still be a wonderful experience–as you will soon see on my blog when I review some great meals I enjoyed during my most recent Vegas vacation.  Thanks again, East Coast Gambler!